Gas-range.



F.. P. MCCARTY.

GAS RANGE.

APPLICATIQN FILED MAY,19,\9|1.

1,257,372. Peeeneed Feb. 26,1918.-

UNTED STATES PATEN FCE.

FRANKLIN P. MCCARTY, OF ST. LOUIS, lVISSOURI.

GAS-RAN GE.

Application led May l, 1917.

To aZZ 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN P. Mo- CARTY, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Gas- Ranges, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to gas ranges of the type now in general use in which the top burners are located between the top of the range on which the cooking utensils are placed, and a horizontally-disposed plate or partition that is arranged underneath the burners, the tops of ranges that are operated or heated by manufactured gas usually being open o-r of skeleton construction and the tops of ranges that are heated by natural gas usually being closed and provided with openings for the cooking utensils. Then a range of the type referred to is in use the heat from the top burners which is not utilized to heat the cooking utensils, escapes into the room in which the range is located, and thus raises the temperature of the room to such a degree that it is uncomfortable for the occupants in warm weather, particularly the cook, who stands in close proximity to the top burners. Furthermore, the cost of operating such a range is out of all proportion to the degree of efficiency of the range. The above is true of both closed and open top ranges, because the top portion of a closed top range is of such design that the excess heat from the top burners can escape laterally under the lower edge of said top portion, and the skeleton form of an open top range of course permits the excess heat from the burners to escape upwardly through same.

The main obj ect of my invention is to provide a gas range which is so constructed that the heat from the top burners will not escape into the room in which the range is located.

Another object is to provide a gas range of the kind just referred to which is so constructed that the excess heat from a top burner over which a cooking utensil or other device is arranged can be conserved and utilized to heat a cooking utensil or other object arranged at a dierent point on the top of the range, thereby materially reducing the cost of operating the range and increasing its degree of efliciency.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26, 1918.

serial No. 169,806.

To this end I have devised a gas range equipped with top burners of any suitable type that will burn either natural or manufactured gas and provided with a closed top that extends over said burners. The top has openings in vertical alinernent with the burners for receiving cooking utensils or other objects, which openings are normally closed by removable lids. Said top is provided with a skirt portion or depending flange or wall that extends downwardly to a point below the top burners, and the combustion chamber or space inclosed by said top and skirt portion is open at its lower side so as to insure a sufficient supply of air to the top burners of the range to support coinbustion. The heat that is generated in said space when one or more of the top burners are in use is conducted away from said space through a iiue or flues of novel construction, which eliminates the possibility of the heat escaping into the room by passing downwardly under the lower edge of the skirt portion on the top of the range.

Figure l of the drawings is a front elevational view, partly in vertical section, of a gas range constructed in accordance with my invention. v

Fig. 2 is a top plan view ofsaid range; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred form of my invention, A designates the top of my improved gas range, which top consists of a horizontallydisposed portion provided with openings 1 for receiving cooking utensils or other objects (not shown) and equipped with removable lids 2 that are adapted to be arranged in the openings l that do not c0ntain cooking utensils, so as to form a solid top portion thatextends over the top burners B of the range. The top burners B are arranged below the top A in vertical alinement with the openings l in the top, and the usual supply pipe or gas manifold B is arranged at the front of the range so as to supply gas to said burners. The top A is provided with a skirt portion C formed by a depending flange or wall that projects downwardly from the top A at the four sides of same, thus producing an inclosing housing for the top burners whose underside is open to the atmosphere, as shown in Fig. l. The lower edge ot' the skirt portion C terminates at a point below the burners B, and while it is immaterial, so far as my broad idea is concerned, how the top A and skirt portion are constructed, I prefer to insulate said parts so as to prevent them trom acting as heat radiators which throw oit the heat that is produced in the combustion chamber or burner space that is partially inclosed by said parts. In the form ot my invention herein shown the top A and skirt portion C are hollow and filled with heat insulating material Le, but said parts can be insulated in any other pre terred manner without departing from the spirit of' my invention.

The heat that is generated in the combustion chamber or burner space covered by the top A and surrounded by the skirt portion C when one or more ot' the top burners B are in use is conducted away from said space through a discharge Hue D that leads to an uptake pipe D which is preferably arranged adjacent the back ot the range. lt is immaterial, so far as my broad idea is concerned, how many discharge vflues the top portion ot the range is equipped with, but I prefer to use one discharge luc D, as herein shown, ot sumcient capacity to carry oft all of the excess heat when all ot the top burners are in use. Said tilleD can be constructed in various ways without departing troni my invention, but it preferably consists of a passageway open on its underside, as shown in Fig. l, and provided with vertically-disposed side walls 3 that extend down into the combustion chamber and whose lower edges terminate in a horizontal plane located slightly above the horizontal plane in which the lower edge of the skirt portion C terminates. Said flue can also be arranged in various ways without departing from my invention, but it is preferably arranged beneath the top A at approximately the center ot same and extends rearwardly trom the front side of the skirt portion C to the uptake pipe D, as shown in F ig. 3. When one or more of the top burners B are in use, the cool air in the burner space or combustion chamber will be forced downwardly by the ascending hot air, and consequently, will escape from the burner space into the flue D under the lower edge of the vertical side wall or walls 3 of said iiue` as indicated by the arrows in F ig. l, due to the tendency of flowing` air to take the path of least resistance. In other words, by equipping` the range with a closed top and a discharge flue open on its underside and provided with side walls that are of slightly less depth than the depending skirt portion C which surrounds the burner space, I eliminate the possibility of the heatJ generated in the burner space from passing downwardly and outwardly under the lower edge ot the skirtportion, owing to the fact that the cool air which is constantly being displaced downwardly by the ascending hot air in the burner space will find an outlet when it reaches the lower edge of the side walls 3 ot the flue D. By arranging` the discharge flue D at approximately the center ot the top ot the range between the two sets of top burners, I assure the escaping air and products of combustion flowing laterally away trom the burner, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. f2, thus eliminating cross drafts over the burners. This only the preferred arrangement ot the discharge iiue D, however, as said iiue could be arranged in various other ways without departing from my invention. The top wall t ot' the flue D is preferably inclined upwardly trom its front end toward its rear end. as shown in Fig. Irl, so as to tend to induce a circulation through said tlue to vard the uptake pipe D.

A, gas range of the construction above described is a decided in'iproveinent on gas ranges oii the type which com )rise a skeleton top` on account of the tact. that the top portion ot` my range is so constructed that the heat trom the top burners which is not utilized to heat the cooking utensils karranged over the burners is conducted into a, discharge flue or lines that lead to an uptake pipe, instead ot being discharged into the room in which the range is located. rnother desirable feature ot my improved range is that one burner can he used to heat two cooking utensils or other objects by simply arranging two cooking utensils in the two openings l in the top of the stove at one side ot the flue D and then lighting the burner arranged under the Yliront opening, the excess heat from said burner filling the space in which the two burners are arranged. and thus serving to heat the cooking utensil arranged in the rear opening l. Consequently, my improved range is more efficient and can be operated at a lower cost than gas` ranges of the type which comprise a skeleton top, because such ranges are not provided with means tor conserving and utilizing the excess hcat troni a burner that is in use.

aving thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure bv Letters Patent, is: i

l. il gas range provided with a closed top forming a permanent part otl the stove and having a depencing skirt portion, burners arranged in the conilimstion chamber underneath said top, and a discharge flue iu said top having side walls that project. down wardly into said combustion chan'iber, the lower edges of said side walls terminating in a higher horizontal plane than the lower edge of said skirt portion.

2. A gas range, comprising top burners arranged in a combustion chamber, a top portion that extends over said burners, said top portion being open at its underside and provided with a depending skirt that surrounds the burners, and a discharge flue open at its underside and provided with side walls that project downwardly into said combustion chamber and which terminate in a higher horizontal plane than the lower edge of the depending skirt of the top portion which surrounds the burners.

3. A gas range, comprising a combustion chamber or closed top forming a permanent or integral part of the stove and provided with openings for receiving cooking utensils or other objects, the underside of said combustion chamber being open to the atmosphere, gas burners arranged in said combustion chamber, a depending skirt portion on said top for preventing the heat generated in the combustion chamber from escaping laterally into the room, and a discharge iiue for said heat arranged under the top in such a manner that the escaping air and products of combustion will not create cross drafts over said burners, said tine being open on its underside and provided with side walls that project down into said combustion chamber and whose lower edges terminate in a higher horizontal plane than the lower edge ot said skirt portion.

ll. A gas range, comprising an insulated top forming a permanent part oi the stove and provided with a combustion chamber that is surrounded by a skirt portion on said top, said top having openings for receiving cooking utensils or other objects, and a discharge flue in said top open on its underside and having side walls that project down into said combustion chamber and whose lower edges terminate in a higher horizontal plane than the horizontal plane in which the lower edge of said skirt portion terminates.

5. A gas range having a closed top that is provided with a depending skirt portion which surrounds the combustion chamber, a discharge Viiue arranged at approximately the center of said top and extending rearwardly from the front side of Said skirt portion to an uptake pipe, and gas burners arranged under said top in said combustion chamber at opposite sides of said discharge flue, said discharge i'iue being open on its underside and provided with side walls that project down into said combustion chamber and whose lower edges terminate in a higher horizontal plane than the lower edge oitl said skirt portion.

6. A gas range having a closed top torming a permanent part of the stove and provided with a combustion chamber that is surrounded by a depending skirt portion on said top, said top and skirt portion being insulated and the top being provided with openings for receiving cooking utensils or other objects7 burners inclosed by said top, and a discharge fluel under said top which communicates with an uptake pipe, said flue being formed by a top wall that is inclined upwardly toward said uptake pipe and side walls that project down into the combustion chamber and whose lower edges terminate in a higher iorizontal plane than the lower edge of said skirt portion so that the heat which is generated in the combustion chamber under the top will escape into the open lower side of said flue instead of passing downwardly and laterally under the lower edge of said skirt portion.

FRANKLIN P. MCCARTY.

Sapins of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

